Daily Devotional – 3/4/14 “Keep talking, God is listening!”

There was a woman who thought she had everything together until she lost her job and it seemed like every place she applied, denied her even though she was well qualified. Here she was scrambling to keep food on the table which was getting harder to do and a roof over their head even though the manager was knocking every day. Yet, she was on her knees every night, after the kids went to bed, praying and pleading with God to hear her. She said it was if God had forgotten about her. She was praying for food and clothes for the kids, for a job so that she could keep the small apartment they shared and for rest because she was barely sleeping. She kept asking, “Lord, are you listening?” A few days later when she woke, she got the kids up for school and prepared for them all she had for food, a few eggs and bread. She sat at the table with so much going through her mind because she needed a job, a way through. As they got ready to leave, she opened the door to find 3 large bags of groceries, some clothes for the kids, an envelope with money enough for rent and a paper with an ad circled that was looking for a receptionist and it wasn’t far from where she lived. She couldn’t believe her eyes yet she began thanking God right in the door and in the midst a small card dropped that simply said, keep talking I’m listening. See, what she didn’t know was the place where she did her nightly prayers was near the wall of her neighbor’s bedroom and he listened to her night after night and God touched his heart and gave him the means to be the blessing that she needed because He needed her to understand that we all have storms to face and just because it seems like God is too busy to hear you, he is simply saying keep talking I’m listening!

Yea, I would imagine God, as being an omnipresent (means everywhere at the same time) God, listens to a whole lot of conversations at the same time all while doing other things and when you stop, because you don’t think He’s listening, He has to send something or someone your way to let you know to keep talking because He’s listening. Isn’t that something? God hasn’t forsaken you because He doesn’t move at your command because the bible says in Psalm 145:18, “The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.” And if the truth shall be told, most times we aren’t asking with a clean heart, aren’t ready for what we’re asking for or really don’t need what we’re seeking after anyway so God has to take His time on answering. However, keep praying, keep fasting, keep believing, keep holding on and keep the faith because although it seems like God isn’t paying attention, he’s simply saying KEEP TALKING I’M LISTENING for it says in Mark 11:24, “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”

Daily Devotional – 3/3/14 “Destroying vs. breaking!”

On this Christian walk, I’ve learned that it’s sometimes necessary to ask God to destroy some things instead of breaking them. Why? Well, because broken things can be repaired. See, if you have an addiction, it needs to be destroyed but a broken heart needs to be mended. An abusive relationship needs to be destroyed but a broken spirit needs to be restored. Yea, if I’m chained by alcoholism and I asked God to break the chain, it can easily bind me with a rope but if I ask God to destroy my desire for it then there’s nothing left for it to attach itself too. If I’m attached to this spirit of lying and cheating and I ask God to break it, there’s a chance it can reattach itself to me but if I ask God to destroy it, there’s nothing left. Toxic relationships, the abuse of our children and elderly, cancer, diseases, tearing down of folk just to build someone else up, senseless killing of our children, youth suicides, spousal abuse, homelessness, lack of education for all, unemployment yet you can’t get unemployment, lack of government assistance for those who actually need it, generational curses and treating the place of worship like a worldly business … all these things have to be destroyed and not broken! It’s time that we get back to doing our Father’s business. No, no one will ever be perfect yet push to be better. Stop allowing the demons of your past to hold you down in your present, ask God to destroy them because He will. Stop breaking those things you know need to be destroyed, only for you to go back and get them to put them together again with glue. Destroy the hatred you have in your heart, the malice intent you have your mind set on, the hurt you harbor and that addiction that you’ve accepted because once it’s destroyed, it’s useless! Don’t break that which needs to be destroyed!

Daily Devotional – 2/28/14 “Check yourself!”

Someone is sitting in their car, at home, at work, in the parking lot of the grocery store, at the doctor’s or dentist office or wherever; wondering why you’re having it so hard. For the life of you, you can’t understand why you always have to go through. You can’t explain why it constantly feels like all hell is breaking loose. You try but you just don’t get why it seems like there is a dark cloud continuously following you around. Well, have you checked your attitude lately? I mean, the bible does say in Ephesians 4:26-27, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold.” Oh but here you are with a temper so bad, the kids are scared to ask you for water and you have the nerve to wonder why the devil is roaming in your home. Yea, you say you want peace in your life but you’re causing hell in everybody else’s. And you even say you have peace yet it’s not evident when someone looks at you. You do know that your attitude determines your altitude, right? You walk around in a funk and then you got the audacity to say, “I got up on the wrong side of the bed,” when you know you get up on the same side every morning because it’s the side you sleep on. You’ve become so wrapped up in what people say and think about you that now you’ve conformed to the way they want you to be but if you had the right attitude, a kingdom attitude, then you’d see the blessing in not conforming because there’s a blessing in being different. See, when you accepted Christ, you accepted the calling to study God’s word for yourself because in your studying you gain knowledge which means you should no longer be ignorant of what is expected of you for 1 Peter 1:14 says, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” All I’m trying to get you to understand is your attitude plays a part in the hell you’re in. Yes, trouble is promised to us but not everything we go through is because of God for there’s a lot of mess you’re in because of you. Check yourself boo and then you may actually see the light at the end of the tunnel! Check yourself and then you may see the sun shining. Check yourself and then you may see the magnificence, the glory and the splendor of God working.

Daily Devotional – 2/27/14 “You may not be ready!”

I wonder how much better you’d be if you prayed for folk as much as you talked about them? How many more blessings you’d received if you helped instead of hurt? How many doors you’ve closed because you’d rather tear folk down instead of building them up? I mean when will you stop craving other folk’s blessings and pray for your own. You got the nerve to be mad at your sister because she just got a new car, you’re angry because your brother got a promotion on his job, you’re heated because your friend was approved for her new house and you’re furious because others are flourishing in the same business that you’re having trouble in. Oh but let me drop this in your spirit … While you’re secretly wanting and wishing for their blessings, you may not be ready to endure all the hell they’ve gone through. Yea, you see folk’s glory yet you haven’t asked them their story. Yea, you see their blessing but where were you during the stressing? Yea, you see them doing well but you didn’t notice all the times they were going through hell. You see them now that they’ve received their healing but not when pain and tears was all they were dealing. Where were you?

All I’m saying is don’t be quick to wish for what others have because your shoulders may not be strong enough to carry the weight they’ve had to carry to maintain their family. Your legs may not have the endurance to walk the path they’ve traveled to get their career. Your back may not heal like theirs have from being stabbed by enemies and friends in order to build the lasting relationships they now have. Your heart may not be built to take all the hurt they’ve gone through to make their marriage work. Your body may not be able to go through the many sleepless nights they’ve dealt with to overcome their addiction. Your mind and spirit may not be ready for the shifting that God has done in their life that has prepared them for this spiritual walk. You may not be ready for what you’re wishing for so be careful of the things you ask God for. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:3.”

Daily Devotional – 2/26/14 “Content vs. Complacency”

Are you content in your current situation or have you become complacent? You do know there’s a difference, right? Yea, I know some will say that both content and complacent mean to be satisfied but there is still a difference. See, content means you’re happy and satisfied with the way things are because you keep striving to make them better yet complacent means you’re satisfied with the way things are without wanting or working to make them better. Still don’t get it? Well, let me break it down and please understand that these are merely my thoughts. Being happy in your marriage behind closed doors because you and your spouse work hard to make it happy is content but acting like you’re happy in front of a crowd yet sleeping in separate beds at home because staying married is the right thing to do is complacency. Going to a place of worship because you’re spiritually fed and you work to keep it that way is content yet going because it’s the “family” church is being complacent. Doing the same thing for years that are pleasing to God is being content yet doing things because its tradition is being complacent.

Philippians 4:11-12 says, “I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little.” Why, well that’s because Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Again, this says for I’ve learned how to be content not complacent. Being content says, “Even though I’ve been knocked down, I still trust and believe so I’ll pray and work until my change comes,” oh but complacency says, “I’ve been knocked down and I’ve learned how to be happy down here so I’ll stay.” Being content says, “I wasn’t promoted this time yet I’ll continue to work until it’s my time” but complacency says, “I didn’t get promoted so I’ll just stay where I’m comfortable.” Being content says, “The doctor said he’d done all he can do yet I know a healer who is able so I’ll live,” but complacency says, “The doctor said 6 months so I’d better get my affairs in order to die.” Yea, content says, “All of my good days outweigh my bad so I won’t complain” but complacency says, “If it wasn’t for bad luck I wouldn’t have any.” Complacency is taking lemons and having lemonade but being content is taking lemons adding them to tea, making a lemon martini, a lemon meringue pie … You get my drift. All I can hope for you to get out of this is; stop being complacent is whatever situation you’re in and be content because there’s a difference.